I tell you - the camera gods are mocking me on a couple of different fronts tonight. Namely:

I must be paying for some bad karma to the camera gods. Either that or I need to make a sudden windfall in calendar and note card sales. Ah the joys of a photographer. We always lust after new lens and equipment.

And in other “new news” for me. I did a test run on getting some of my images printed out large format for a show I have coming up at th end of October. Printed and framed these images are 26″ x 36″. I really didn’t know how they would do that large. But needless to say I’m very pleased.

Definitely a good beginning in the world of art works.

Like most places around the country the ebony of night brings with it a step into another world. A time when most people truly come alive and begin their ventures outdoors - whether it be celebrating the night life of the city or even perhaps attending a theatre performance. There is an electricity that sparks us when we journey into that witching hour.

Those hours around dusk are one of my favorites as well but of course for different reasons. Because those moments bring with it an increase in wildlife activity. It is no secret that moose are more active around dusk and dawn as are many other Alaska mammals. With the darkness those animals you don’t normally see become active as well. The red fox emerge from their den for hunting or porcupine begin to wander the local woods.

As the hours flowed into dusk last night I found myself back up at the Glenn Alps overlook in an attempt to capture a view of the city lights. Of course I wasn’t able to capture the image i wanted because my wide angle lens chose that night to be tempermental. So after a few hours I decided to call it a day and head home.

No sooner had I pulled into the back parking lot of where I live and took some things over to the garbage can when I began to hear some chirps emitted into the air. Chirps that brought back memories of my time at McNeil River. You see I was all too familiar with the animal they were coming from. So I took a few steps forward and looked into the darkness. I found some amber colored eyes staring back at me.

It appears we have a red fox family living in the woods bordering the Campbell Creek where I live. As I allowed my eyes to become used to the darkness I watched her bound off through the trees as if in search for prey.

To me it was a good omen and a reminder of on of my favorite times this year. I hope she will come visiting again.

Cook Inlet Sunset
Anchorage, Alaska

After living here over 30 years - low and behold I found out Anchorage actually has a place called Strawberry Hill. Didn’t find any strawberries. Nor did I find any bull moose when I went up to Powerline Pass. But I did find a gorgeous sunset.

Going through a rather rough patch as of late. Hoping things normalize in my life and soon.

After many years of being what I would label the “armchair photographer” and simply using photography as my excuse to get out and see Alaska I have found my interests changing as of late.  My love of photography is intensifying and growing to a new level.  Of course my biggest challenge remains overcoming my lack of self confidence in constantly questioning, “Am I good enough?” 

Not only have I begun to seriously work on building a second business of this, I have also had an interest sparked in attempting to get shown here locally.  Vis a vie by participating in the art circuit known as First Friday.  Perhaps the biggest challenge is not having any local gallery contacts and really not knowing where to start.

The interest however is still there.  Where there is a will there is a way - right?

Trumpeter Swan at Dusk
Potters Marsh, Southcentral Alaska

As fall journeys to Alaska bringing with it cooler temperatures and darkened skies during the evening it also brings with it one of my favorite times of year and great opportunities for photography. 

I have spent my last week attempting to get out more during the evenings and enjoy the season before it ends.  In between that time has also been spent on building a business.

2008 has brought many challenges and changes to it. But it began with a journey into creation for me when I published my first calendar known as “The Alaskan Explorer”. Of course when it comes to attempts such as this one never knows if it will be a bomb or successful in its own right. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a positive attempt for me as I sold out of my entire stock.

Because of continued requests I have once again forged ahead with plans to create a 2009 version of The Alaskan Explorer and am pleased to announced I am now accepting orders for shipment in the next few weeks. The calendar comes on a nice heavy stock paper and features clearly printed photos of Alaska and its wildlife.

The 2009 Alaskan Explorer calendars are available for purchase. The price is $15.00 each with $4.60 flat rate postage (USPS Priority Mail) though I will ship them free of charge to those that live in Alaska. I will also ship overseas but will need to provide you a shipping quite. I will accept payments via Paypal. If you are interested, please contact me with the quantity you are interested in and your location and I will send you an invoice.

If you are interested in seeing what images will appear, a summary can be viewed here.

Denali Road Lottery 2008
Denali National Park, Alaska

The weekend wasn’t quite what I expected. Hit some snags including having to scramble to find a hotel for my last night there after I found out the hotel I was originally planning on staying at was closing for the season on Monday. They had some kind of glitch with their reservation system that allowed it to accept reservations after their closing date.

Despite some headaches though there was definitely some high spots on the weekend. Including hanging out with a friend that I haven’t seen much this summer.

And as Interior Alaska begins to plan for the winter ahead, so too do I take a page from that book. No major trips planned at this point but I do have a potential road trip on tap this weekend if the weather cooperates.

One of the regulars that visits this site (hi Michael!) sent me an interesting e-mail that got me thinking about some things.  The comment that he enjoys my photos more knowing the story behind them — which in reality is pretty much what this blog is all about. 

But I do admit it got me thinking.  All too often when we buy prints, notecards, etc. that can tell location, artist, etc.  But I’ve never really saw anything that delves into the story behind the photo and the experience behind it.  Might be an interesting marketing idea.

That is if I ever truly begin to market my work.  I’m still decided.  Heck, I haven’t even decided if I should attempt a 2009 calendar again this year. 

Which I know if I decide to, I should have them ready by the end of this month.

“The Hug”
McNeil River
Kamishak Bay, Alaska

Wanda’s spring cubs engage in rest and play while awaiting their mother’s return from fishing at McNeil River Preserve.

While many may think I’m referring to myself in third person here or even crooning the lyrics to the Rolling Stones song (don’t ever sing that to me - bad memories), it instead refers to perhaps one of my favorite memories of McNeil River and that is my interaction with the red fox named Angie and her fellow brothers and sisters. Angie quickly came known to me within moments of my arrival on the shores of Kamishak Bay. I had known early on that there were red fox born at the campground that spring — given a fellow photographer friend of mine had photographed them during his time there in June.

I knew before going there remained the possibility that they had abandoned their den. And indeed I was right. The den was abandoned by the second day of my arriving. Instead the kits began to spend an innate amount of time in the campground itself. Often sunning themselves in the campground or even pouncing on each other in play. I soon began the observation role and noticed a particular female with a diamond shape black mark above her tail was the one that began to follow me around in earnest and hang around by my campsite.

It was she whose eyes I found staring in one night when she crept under my rain fly and up against the back wall of my tent. Just as it was she that began to pounce on my tent my last night there. I think at that point she was in play mode and was trying to give chase the rain drops that were working their way down my tent. It was only with a stern “knock it off!” that she stopped. I seriously thought she would take down my tent that night with her exuberance.

The entire family would often await our return on the spit each night. But it was she that was often separated from the rest of them and would glance over each of us until her eyes settled upon mine. At the end of my trip it was Tom that jokingly said “We’ll name her Angie for her antics.” It’s a name that stuck and a memory I shall always hold.

And thus concludes my time at McNeil River.